Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Starting Up Again

Wow, time flies when you're raising children, working, and trying to keep a handle on life in general. It's been three years since my last post, and it wasn't completely due to negligence. I made the conscious decision to put writing on the back burner because my life at time was feeling extremely stretched with working from home, raising two young boys, starting a Etsy shop for some of my artwork, bible study, working out, the list goes on and on. I was looking through some of my old posts the other day and was warmed by the memories I had recorded here of the boys in their babyhood. I never made the time to write things down in the baby book and while I take plenty of pictures (which I hear are worth a thousand words) I know that I've forgotten so many precious stories and happy memories of their childhood.

I want to have something to look back on the encapsulates the golden era of our family life, something my children can read when they have families of their own. If no one else reads this besides just myself and my family than that's just fine. If others do happen to stumble this way and find inspiration, or get a laugh in the morning while drinking their coffee, than that's wonderful too. Life is precious and fleeting, and there's a sadness and a beauty in the way that it passes. So, instead of depending on my flaky brain to remember the sweet details, I'll record them here to share with whomever is willing to listen.

First of all, a brief synopsis of how we have all grown and what we have been up to these past few years...

Blake

Blake is now six years old and getting ready to start Kindergarten in the next couple of weeks. I'm soaking in all my time with him during the day that I can because this will be his first year of all day school and he will be away from me from 8am to 4pm (cue all the tears). My sweet baby that made me a mommy has grown into the sweetest, most sensitive, funny little boy. He loves nature and animals-especially kitties, riding his scooter, snuggling, outer space, all things made of sugar, and making people laugh. He would sit on my lap and read storybooks with me for hours if I would accommodate him, and some days I do. He has been in Head start the past three years on an IEP (we decided to hold him back from Kindergarten on extra year). It's evident to anyone who works with him that his brain works differently, and in an incredible way. When he's interested in something he absorbs it like a sponge and will come home and tell us everything he learned about that day in incredible detail. When he's disinterested in something, it's the equivalent of trying to bathe a cat. He has an excellent vocabulary, but tends to hyper focus on certain subjects and will usually attempt change the conversation topic to something that suits his interests. His best friend is his little brother, but he also has a friend at school named Leah that absolutely adores him. They play kitties together at school all day and I've been told by Blake that they became friends because"I meowed at her and she meowed back". They've also apparently already named my future grandchildren. I've known since I was pregnant with him that he was special and was going to do something amazing with his life. It's already been such a pleasure watching him grow that I can't wait to see what his future holds.

Nolan

Oh Nolan, our little spitfire, how we love you. He is full of crazy antics and sound effects. He will drive you to the brink of insanity and then bring you right back with a sweet little kiss on the cheek. At 4 years old he is officially in Pre-K this year, and is already asking why he can't go to the big school like Blake. He loves tractors, backhoes, monster trucks, ketchup, watching Youtube, and getting into mischief. He is rarely ever still and had the most adorable cackle type laugh. He is the epitome of Dennis the Menace with a twinkle in his eye and a sly grin. There's nothing that he doesn't give full effort too, rather it be popping wheelies on his bike, loving with all of his heart or getting his way. When he was a baby he had a scream that sounded very similar to a fire alarm, and he used it often. He has a already had quite the portfolio of disasters and trouble that his curiosity and determination has gotten him into. He makes me laugh daily and still has some of those baby boy looks that just melt my heart and make me want to spend my entire day snuggling him. His teachers tell me that he tells that BEST stories in class, complete with sound effects and hand motions. Even though he can be exhausting I'm so incredibly proud of him. My pregnancy with Nolan was actually unplanned, and we were quite shocked when we found out that he would be joining us. Even though it sounds cheesy, he was the best surprise we ever have recieved. He and his brother are the best of friends, and the stark contrast between their personalities has helped Blake to come out of his shell and overcome some of his fears. I was somehow blessed with the most amazing little boys, and I try everyday to be worthy of this gift that I have been given.

My Husband and I

I've since changed employers and now work part time from home with my husbands company as a project coordinator. Working with your spouse is both rewarding and frustrating at times, although I do feel like it has brought us even closer together. My days are filled with hustling boys to and from school, making snacks every five minutes, laundry, electrical takeoffs and invoicing, more laundry, cleaning, cooking, and running my Etsy shop. I'm so very blessed to have a job that allows me to has flexible hours and work when I can, but it can still be highly stressful when you're on the phone with a customer and have a four year old yelling from across the hall that he needs his butt wiped. We recently converted our guest room into an art studio/creative space for me to paint, loom, hammer, saw, glue or whatever other crazy project I'm currently up to. I have to brag that my husband thinks so highly of my creativity to suggest that I allow it to take over an entire room in our house. You've gotta love a guy like that. I recently finished a two year bible study that went though God's word all the way from Genesis to Revelations. It was a great experience and I'm currently seaching for a study that with do a comparison on different verses on certain topics. I still struggle to keep God a center in my life and not get swept away by all the things of this world. Luckily for me, he is a thousand times more loyal than I and always calls me back when I wonder too far.
My husband is currently going to school for his Master's Electrician License and I'm so proud of the work and time that he puts into his goals. He has always been an incredibly hard worker and great provider. He is passionate about his family, learning new things and ideas, and the Broncos. Our house is never peaceful during football season, haha. He is most certain my best friend and always pushes me to better myself and to not become complacent. We've been married twelve years next month and I'm so very thankful and blessed to have such an intelligent, affectionate and hardworking partner in life. We spend hours talking about all aspects of life, dreaming big, and reminiscing about the years we've already spent together. I am so incredibly excited about our future together and the adventures we will have raising our family.

Our Family

We've managed to stay quite busy fixing up our century year old home over the past four years we have lived here. We are currently updating our (very small) master bathroom. We have grand plans to pull up the carpet and refinish original hardwood floors beneath. We are slowly adding more and more landscaping, beautifying the decor, and updated the light fixtures. We've already put thousands of dollars and probably hours as well into making this home our own and leaving our mark. I have a special place in my heart for old things and this house is certainly one of them that deserves it's own post with all the history I've learned about it.

We take a yearly family vacation, our first one being to Galveston Texas. It was my, and the boys first time seeing the Ocean, and it was an incredible experience! We hunted for crabs and shells, played in the waves and built sand castles. I can't wait to go back! It seems you always leave a piece of yourself when you visit the ocean. We have also vacations to Lake Powell, and Glenwood CO. It's a goal of ours to ensure that our children are well traveled and we hope to someday take them on an international trip.

Life is crazy right now between work, school, and construction, but I really wouldn't have it any other way.

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About Me

In a rural town in Eastern Colorado you will find a white house on a tree lined street. It's likely that you will hear the shrieks and laughter of our two toddlers boys from outside. My name is Jennifer, and I'm a work at home momma to Blake (two and a half) and Nolan (15 months). I've been married to my husband, Stephen, for eight years. Our days are filled with sticky kisses, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, plenty of tears, and nighttime snuggles. It's loud, it's hectic, but every moment is precious. Welcome, and thanks for stopping by!